You have a lot to learn if you want to get into photography professionally, particularly if you want to center your business around photographing couples. There's the basics of how a camera works, lighting, composition and editing. In other words, you're going to have a full plate in front of you.
Ironically, the last thing most amateurs want to learn is posing. Good old fashioned posing is one of the hardest, yet most important skills you're going to acquire as a photographer.
Our bodies can be molded into so many shapes and as the professional, you have to know how to use that to your advantage. Of course the hard part about it all is that unless you go into the fashion or commercial side of the industry, you're going to work with regular people that have little or no experience in posing. Unconfident people will stand in front of your camera each weekend and they'll be expecting directions from you.
(Success Tip:Take better photos with this simple deck of cards)
One of the "shortcut" approaches to this, one that many amateurs take, is to let the model feel comfortable, let them be natural in their gestures. I would like to recommend everyone to try this at least once with their friends. You might be surprised to see that natural poses look really bad. The truth is that some of the best looking poses can be uncomfortable and feel unnatural to the person you're shooting, so you will have to explain that what they're doing actually looks good.
Take a wedding day for example. Your time with the bride and groom will be very limited, so knowing how to pose and shoot quickly will make the difference in getting just a few good shots, or having many, diverse pictures to choose from. It takes a bit of imagination and especially adaptation. We're not all the same and you can't use the same poses with someone short and someone tall. Overweight people can't be posed as slim people and so on.
You'll also have to figure out how to use the environment to your advantage. Chairs, tables and just about anything you cause should be incorporated in your shoots.
There are plenty of books and videos to learn posing from, but we've got one that is a must watch for amateurs and serious photographers alike. Jerry Ghionis is one of the most popular and appreciated wedding photographers in the world. He was kind enough to share his knowledge in this video made by B&H. Enjoy & learn!
Learn more about posing from these recommended books:
- Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models
- Posing for Portrait Photography: A Head-To-Toe Guide for Digital Photographers
- Master Posing Guide for Portrait Photographers